SEOUL– Even after a heartbreaking miss with a South Korean football title within grasp last year, Ulsan Hyundai FC head coach Hong Myung-bo never lost faith in his squad.
And his players responded to that trust this year, capturing the team’s first K League 1 championship in 17 years with time to spare.
Still basking in the glow of the title on Wednesday, three days after securing the trophy, Hong thanked his players for sticking to the process.
“Around this time last year, we had our heart broken, but I didn’t stay disappointed too long,” Hong said at a press conference at the team’s clubhouse in the southeastern city of Ulsan. “Although we didn’t accomplish our ultimate goal, I could see that the players had been following the right process. I was convinced that we would get to the top.”
Ulsan defeated Gangwon FC 2-1 on Sunday to lock down the title with one match to spare. They had finished runners-up to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in each of the past three years but finally turned the tables this year, as Jeonbuk played second fiddle to Ulsan for a change.
Hong ended the drought in his second year on the job, and he said he would never have considered quitting if Ulsan had once again come up short this year.
“I think quitting is the easiest way out,” Hong said. “Even if we didn’t win the title this year, I still had confidence that we’d get it done next year.”
One of South Korean football’s all-time greats, Hong said he will now focus on building a sustainable winner.
“Rather than just throwing money at big-name players, I’d like to gather players who understand their roles and responsibilities within a team structure,” Hong said. “Obviously, you have to make financial commitments to players. But I hope to assemble a championship team without spending a lot of money.”
Throughout the season, Hong said he kept telling his players to hold themselves accountable.
“Once you’re on the pitch, you have to make your own decisions and you have to be responsible for your own action,” Hong said. “I think this team has always had talented players but I just needed to make sure those guys would start playing with a stronger sense of responsibility.”
Accompanying Hong at the press conference, starting goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo said he was still pinching himself after winning his first league title. He said the biggest difference between this year’s championship squad and the runners-up from earlier years has been the leadership at the top.
“When I first got here (in 2020), there were games when the guys seemed to be in such a rush, and we didn’t have a leader who could calm things down,” Jo said. “After coach Hong came aboard, we started feeling almost invincible. We could relax more on the field and that has led to great results.”
Defender Kim Tae-hwan said he’s been on cloud nine since Sunday, and thanked players, front office staff and coaches that came before him to lay the foundation for this year’s title.
“I’ve been playing the whole season with a sense of urgency. I thought I would leave Ulsan if we didn’t win the title this year,” Kim said. “I’ve experienced so many ups and downs the past three years that this season has been relatively easy in comparison.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency